that's rich
Call me cynical if you want, but I honestly don't see how this whole $35 for a movie ticket thing is gonna fly. I understand the concept: Seats fit for a god, fancy food and cocktails (not included in the ticket price), and special parking privileges. I know it's successful in Australia. And I'm aware that there may be some infinitillionaires out there who'd patronize such a place. However, I'm not sure if swank seats, food, and parking are enough to justify anybody spending that kind of money. Hell, it's hard enough to justify paying $12 to see a movie.
Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe this is a good idea. However, a recession might not be the best time to go through with it. Besides, wouldn't it make more sense to make moviegoing more worthwhile for the common person? After all, there are a lot more of them out there than there are rich folk. It also makes more sense to work on the basics before attempting anything more advanced.
For starters, improve the presentation of the movies. Train your projectionists like they were overseeing the operation heavy, expensive, important machinery and not just threading celluloid and pressing a switch--because they're doing both. And when there's a mechanical failure, no amount of switch pressing is going to help. Plus, if they're doing projection, that's what they're doing for the night. Especially if they're responsible for several projectors. Make sure the projectors, films, and auditorium screens are well-maintained, too.
Unfortunately, things are going to go wrong. Stuff happens. When it does, don't leave the audience hanging--keep them informed. And reasonably compensated. After all, the audience needs maintenance, too.
Speaking of maintenance, keep your theatre clean and operational from the inside out. Make your theatre look like a good place to see a movie--and a good place to come back to. If you can wield a mop and some cleanser, change the odd lightbulb, and do regular washroom checks--or hire someone capable of doing these tasks--you can do this.
While you're hiring employees who can clean, you might want to hire some of the following: Friendly concession staff as capable of keeping things clean and stocked as they are of making a sale, ushers who can sneak up on loud talkers like ninjas--and can call managers for backup when it comes to ejecting unruly patrons, and people who can at least pretend to be as interested in doing their crappy job as they are in talking to their co-workers. I know that this is a tall order, but if all else fails, just train your staff really well. A well-informed staff is more helpful than a clueless staff. And, if you happen to have a good employee, do your damnedest to keep them. Make it worth their while to be there. Trust me.
Look, I know the exhibition industry isn't an easy one. You have quotas and targets to meet and hours to cut and dollars to make out of fifteen cents. But it takes money to make money, and even if you improve things by just a little, you might get a lot back in return. What I'm basically saying is, just make people happy to be in the theatres we already have, okay? Once you master that, then you can work on the rich people.
Just a thought.
Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe this is a good idea. However, a recession might not be the best time to go through with it. Besides, wouldn't it make more sense to make moviegoing more worthwhile for the common person? After all, there are a lot more of them out there than there are rich folk. It also makes more sense to work on the basics before attempting anything more advanced.
For starters, improve the presentation of the movies. Train your projectionists like they were overseeing the operation heavy, expensive, important machinery and not just threading celluloid and pressing a switch--because they're doing both. And when there's a mechanical failure, no amount of switch pressing is going to help. Plus, if they're doing projection, that's what they're doing for the night. Especially if they're responsible for several projectors. Make sure the projectors, films, and auditorium screens are well-maintained, too.
Unfortunately, things are going to go wrong. Stuff happens. When it does, don't leave the audience hanging--keep them informed. And reasonably compensated. After all, the audience needs maintenance, too.
Speaking of maintenance, keep your theatre clean and operational from the inside out. Make your theatre look like a good place to see a movie--and a good place to come back to. If you can wield a mop and some cleanser, change the odd lightbulb, and do regular washroom checks--or hire someone capable of doing these tasks--you can do this.
While you're hiring employees who can clean, you might want to hire some of the following: Friendly concession staff as capable of keeping things clean and stocked as they are of making a sale, ushers who can sneak up on loud talkers like ninjas--and can call managers for backup when it comes to ejecting unruly patrons, and people who can at least pretend to be as interested in doing their crappy job as they are in talking to their co-workers. I know that this is a tall order, but if all else fails, just train your staff really well. A well-informed staff is more helpful than a clueless staff. And, if you happen to have a good employee, do your damnedest to keep them. Make it worth their while to be there. Trust me.
Look, I know the exhibition industry isn't an easy one. You have quotas and targets to meet and hours to cut and dollars to make out of fifteen cents. But it takes money to make money, and even if you improve things by just a little, you might get a lot back in return. What I'm basically saying is, just make people happy to be in the theatres we already have, okay? Once you master that, then you can work on the rich people.
Just a thought.